Topic: Distance and height

Concept: Relate distances and heights on a topographical map to actual distance and travel time.

Skill:  Determine approximate distance and travel time between two locations on a map.  Determine personal stride length.

Objective:  Students will be able to use a variety of methods for approximating distance and travel times.

Lesson Activity: (materials needed: 100' tape and stakes, maps, pipe cleaners or string.)

    Briefly review the concept of scale talked about on day 1.  Discuss built in distance measurements on the map. (longitude, latitude, section lines, etc.)  Explain the concept of grade (rise over run) and how elevation changes and other terrain features affect traveling times.  Have students measure how far it is between two points on the map using several different routes.  Determine distance and elevation gain and loss to approximate travel time on each route.  Go outside to flagged course so each student can determine their stride length walking and running.  Relate stride length to distance one is able to cover.  Have a short discussion about why it might be useful to know one's stride length.

Diagnostic Assessment: How many ways can we come up with to talk about distance?  How do these relate to the concept of scale we talked about.

Formative Assessment: Are the students able to determine distances on the map?  What methods are they using?  Are they able to make reasonable judgments about travel time  taking elevation into consideration?

Summative Assessment: Discussion about how stride length relates to measurement.

Grading:  Again, a participation grade for the day as in lesson 1.

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